Bait and Switch
by Jade Evangeline
Summary: Sequel to "Ramifications." Marriage, unrelenting parents, family secrets and a dangerous stranger from Darien's past. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Chapter Five.
1. Chapter 1: Providence

Bait and Switch

Chapter One: Providence

A/N: For those of you who have never read "Ramifications," this is the sequel and I suggest you read that first before reading this one. There will be some references to its predecessor that you might not understand. For everyone else, hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope to have the second one by the middle or end of next week. As always, please review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Rating: M (for violence, language, and non explicit sexual themes)

* * *

The atmosphere was silent, calm, still. In the plush leather sofa that sat atop the wooden floors of his penthouse apartment, Darien Chiba sat, calmly fingering the armrest beside him, his finger moving in rhythmic taps as he waited for a knock on the door to free him from his solidarity and take him into the social throes of the night. He listened quietly, the only audible sounds from outside remained the beating of the rain against the clear paned windows that offered him a breathtaking view of the Tokyo skyline. The streetlights twinkled in his peripheral and even from the height of his penthouse, he could hear the honking of the horns on the busy streets below and the occasional wailing of a siren blasting its shrill sound as it sped down the wet road. The air outside was warm and muggy, the sudden August rain storm surprising even to the cities inhabitants. It always seemed to rain on his birthday.

Glancing at the clock he saw the iron rod tick painfully slow toward eight o clock, his anxiety growing as he waited for his doorbell to ring. In the solace of the moment he couldn't help but reflect on the events of the past year. He had graduated from college, matriculated into medical school, fell in love with a girl, rescued her from harm and bought a brilliant diamond engagement ring. Soon, he hoped, he would have a fiancée, and the loneliness that was his constant, steadfast companion, would be driven away by _her _sunny presence. At the thought of his beloved he couldn't help but smile.

They had overcome so many obstacles over the short time that they had been together. Despite her coming of age, her father still found their relationship objectionable and her relationship with Raye was still strained. And despite the death of her captor and the life sentence of another, nightmares often plagued her sleep and she would awake crying, images of a man creeping in the distant shadows stalking her thoughts. Darien knew it would be a while before the ghosts of her trauma went away and he would be by her side until they did.

Glancing around the room he noticed the change in the décor and grinned at the progress. He had been a lonely man before Serena captured him; he had many friends, but none close enough to know the blinding isolation that rested so deep within him and she had been the only person who could truly break through his callous exterior to find the loving soul inside.

Reaching down toward his pocket, he let his fingers slide against the lump beneath the fabric; the velvety texture of the box remained plush even through the cotton of his pants. For whatever reason, he found it necessary to carry this box around with him so that when the moment overcame him he would reveal the ring to her and ask her to be his wife. Perhaps the ring was the everlasting emblem that proved that his loneliness would indeed someday go away and the brightly lit horizon full of happiness and hope would bring a wave of light that could overcome the occasional bouts of darkness that filled him.

Serena would be starting school soon; her housing choices were complete, a roommate chosen, her tuition paid. There was no uncertainty that she would be moving away from the clutches of her overbearing father and into the arms of another man that loved her dearly. Her dorm situation could serve as a ruse for things to come, for if she accepted his proposal, then her move into his home would hopefully be immediate. Things in his life seemed to be turning around. He had convinced himself that tonight would be the perfect night, and proposing to her would be a present to himself; she was his greatest gift, after all.

The sound of the chipper chime of his doorbell banished the silence from the room and immediately he grabbed the coat that rested against the top of the couch, put it on, and approached the wooden door. He pulled it open and the passive expression on his face melted into such a display of euphoria that if looking in the mirror, he thought he probably wouldn't recognize himself.

"Happy Birthday," cried the blonde, setting the carefully wrapped gift she had bought him to the ground and throwing herself into his embrace, her head falling into the crook of his neck, her arms surrounding his middle.

He couldn't help but grin at her exuberance. She leaned in to kiss him and with the movement of her lips she filled him with the strongest feeling of contentment, of excitement, of belonging. She released him slowly and he got a true look at what she was wearing. The silky texture of the silver gown flowed and funneled around her body, the tight bodice accentuating her curves, the graceful hem, wide and smooth as it trailed behind her. Her hair was free and wavy, the honey curls contrasting with brightness of her blue eyes. Her makeup was simple and dainty and made her appear slightly older than her true age. She was a mirage in the desert of life and he remained quiet as his eyes drunk in the sight of her before him.

"Are you ready to go, or are you just going to stare at me, birthday boy?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well if you didn't show up looking so damn beautiful, then I wouldn't be gawking at you like this," he said honestly, reaching for his keys on the glass table behind the door.

"Come on lover boy," she said, her delicate fingers wrapping around his wrist. "You can't be late to your own birthday party."

* * *

The ride to the hotel where Darien's party was taking place was quiet and pensive, the comfort between them evident even in the silent car. In truth, Serena hadn't told him much about where they were going and who would be there. Occasionally she would yell out directions for him to take as they drove carefully down the glossy roads. As they neared the towering buildings of the downtown area, inspiration seized him and he suddenly realized where they were going.

His assumption was right and Darien felt little surprise when they pulled up to the Regency Hotel, one of the most elegant and expensive hotels in the ritzy Azabu District. Serena looked in awe, the sophistication of the building with its marble columns and glowing lights even more majestic up close. As providence would have it, Andrew happened to be good friends with the son of the man that owned this hotel and was able to let them rent one of the large lounges for the night at no charge. The news of Darien's bravery had saturated every news station and many people recognized him for his courage. With all the chatter of news running around, the business man's son had convinced his father that having such a local and heroic celebrity at their hotel would be great for publicity, not to mention their public image. All Serena and her friends had to pay for was the catering service they had hired for the night. She had been thrilled with the news Andrew had offered, mainly because Darien had bought her such extravagant gifts for her birthday and also because she felt like Darien deserved a lavish party after what he had done for her.

Immediately a valet driver rushed to their car, opened the door and helped both passenger and driver out, shielding them from the wet skies with massive black umbrellas. Serena tipped the driver as Darien handed him the keys and the two of them entered the glass atrium. The inside of the Regency was even more beautiful than its exterior. The room bled demure elegance and care was clearly taken when decorating the foyer. The ceilings were bedecked with crystal chandeliers, the floors shiny with lustrous marble, the walls sparkling with golden fixtures and paintings of men that had long left the confines of earth.

Darien looked surprised as she led him expertly down the hallway toward the lounge where his friends awaited. His fingers never parted from hers and the excitement that was radiating from her seemed to be infusing him with a similar level of enthusiasm. It had been so many years since he had a birthday party; after the deaths of his parents he instead opted to spend those special days at the graveyard where his parents were buried, murmuring terms of endearment and summaries of his current state of life.

When they entered the room, he was surprised by how many people showed up. There had to be at least fifty people in the room, many of them, he recognized from school or parties he had attended while in college. Several of their mutual friends were present, including Serena's four best friends, a girl with short red hair and young man with large bifocals. As they stepped into the room, Darien was greeted, congratulated and wished a happy birthday by all of its inhabitants.

"Look at all those presents," whispered Serena, her eyes falling onto the table in the back that was creaking under the weight of many gifts.

Darien laughed at the hungry expression on her face. "They're not your presents, Serena," said Lita, laughing at her reaction.

"I bet she'll be over there shaking the boxes before I can even get close to them," said Darien, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

"Not fair. I'm your girlfriend; you're supposed to be on my side."

"You're right. She's right," he said, looking to Mina and Lita. "If there's food she'll definitely beeline for that first."

Even Serena laughed at that comment and agreed that it was true, that she was hungry and there was plenty of food. Soon after all the arrivals had entered, music began playing and dinner was served. Darien was surprised at how much food there was. Then again, he was pretty sure Serena had ordered all of the food and sometimes her eyes tended to be bigger than her stomach. Quickly they helped themselves to some of his absolute favorite dishes: Stuffed Filet Mignon, Shrimp Scampi over Linguini, Steamed Crab and Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Their conversations were filled with happy memories, amusing jokes, and witty rebuts as they ate their way to satiation. When dinner was finished, Serena unveiled a large cake, the white icing reading letters of happy wishes in red and black. Darien cut into the cake and saw the blackness of the chocolate beneath the pristine white of the surface and his mouth watered in anticipation: chocolate by far was his most favorite thing in the world. Slowly they devoured the cake, commenting on its brilliance and sheer perfection of the night. When Darien found out that Serena had been the sole proprietor over tonight's events, his heart was filled with even more joy and utter appreciation for his girlfriend. After the plates were collected, Serena stood up beside him, grabbing a microphone from a nearby attendant and waiting for the room to quiet.

"Twenty three years ago, Darien Chiba was born today at 8:47 pm to Damien and Elizabeth Chiba," she began, the lights dimming and a projection screen ascending gracefully from the ceiling. "And even as a child Darien had a knack for exhibitionism." Across the screen flashed two photos of Darien as a nude baby: one of him resting on a bed, his stomach pressing against the red fabric and the other of him leaning against the bottom of a couch, a happy smile on his face. The room was filled with laughter as they surveyed the dark haired child in all of his natural glory.

"Even as a young boy, not any older than five, Darien was destined for greatness," continued Serena, a photo of Darien in Superman underwear, followed by a picture of him from Halloween, dressed up like Batman, complete with the mask and cape. "And as he continued his journey through life, his sheer determination to be not only a great scholar, but a great human being continued as well." Another photograph appeared, this time of a nine year old boy volunteering with his mother and father at a local animal shelter. "And although life proved to be unpredictable, Darien's insatiable appetite for knowledge and success never faltered." Two pictures emerged: one of him graduating from Mugen Academy, the other from him giving his valedictorian speech at his college commencement ceremony. "And as we are all lucky enough to be friends with Darien, we know that in his skillful hands, he will strive to meet any challenge he faces, that his caring nature will allow him to achieve great things and that after him the world of medicine will never be the same. Because of him, we know that the future will be in good hands. Happy Birthday, Darien. I love you. We all love you."

Darien watched as the room suddenly burst into thunderous applause and he couldn't keep himself from rising abruptly from his chair and giving his girlfriend an enrapturing kiss. The catcalls didn't stop their embrace and only did the need for air cause him to release her from his grip. "How'd you manage that?" he asked, referring to the slide show as his hand caressed her cheek.

"I stole one of your family albums," she said sheepishly. "But I put everything back the way it was I swear."

"Thank you," he said. "For everything, for tonight…it was perfect."

She hugged him before returning to her seat and sitting down beside him. He mused to himself that this was the best birthday he had ever had and mentally noted that next year he would have to outshine her and throw her an even better party. The night was winding down and it was near midnight when a few of his acquaintances had begun to wish him goodnight, congratulate Serena on the excellent party and file out of the room. When only some of his closest friends remained, Darien realized that now was the optimal time to ask Serena a very important question.

With shaky fingers he reached for the microphone that lay on the floor beneath her chair, cleared his throat and switched it on. His gesture broke Serena from her conversation with Ami and she immediately turned her attention toward her counterpart.

"Firstly, I wanted to thank my girlfriend and all those involved for this party. This was the absolute best birthday that I've had in a very long time," he began, interlocking his fingers with Serena's and tugging her hand until she stood up. Shyly she moved toward him, a questioning look on her face as he urged her to face him before bringing the microphone back to his lips. "Undoubtedly, as Serena pointed out, I have several presents waiting for me back there, but the greatest gift I was ever given, is standing right in front of me."

Driven by the verbal sentiment of the crowd, Serena blushed a deep red, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she looked into Darien's eyes. "I have never, nor will I ever, love a woman as much as I love you and I am ready to spend every waking moment of my life with you, to see you smile, to wake up with you in the morning, to experience every aspect of life with you by my side. Give me the chance to make your dreams come true, give me the chance to love you unconditionally. Make me the happiest man alive, by saying that you'll be my wife." Immediately Darien retrieved the velvet box from his pocket and opened it, uncovering a radiant princess cut diamond ring. Serena gasped, her eyes widening as shock reverberated through the entire room. No one spoke as she stood there, her trembling lips unable to form the proper words. And when she looked up to him, she saw so much happiness and yearning shining within his eyes that her mouth found the will to speak.

"Absolutely not," came the deep rumble from the distant voice of man. Her lips were forming the words for her positive response when that statement ruined the moment and caused not only her, but every single person in the room to search for the speaker.

Darien looked around, livid with anger. Who would have the audacity to ruin his proposal to Serena? Everyone in the audience seemed to be thinking the same things. When Darien finally found the culprit, the velvet box dropped from his hand, falling onto the floor, just as the diamond fell from is confines and skidded toward Serena, stopping at the hem of her dress.

"Shame I wasn't in your little slideshow," said a man who had to be in his mid fifties from the doorway, his long fingertips wrapped around the jeweled tip of a cane as he rested against the wooden frame. His black hair, peppered with streaks of gray, shined brilliantly beneath the lights, his deep blue eyes glistened with the sparkle of menace as he stared directly at Darien. "I was and still am, a rather important force in your life."

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Darien, genuine shock laced in the timbre of his angry response.

"Can't an uncle come and visit his nephew on his birthday?" asked the man, walking toward Darien, the pounding of his cane loud against the cedar floorboards.

"How'd you even know where to find me?"

"Who doesn't know where to find you Darien? The results of your relationship with this blonde little twat have been all over the news."

"Excuse me?" cried Serena, surprise and irritation overcoming her. How dare this man come in and ruin Darien's birthday and his proposal to her.

"Speak when you're spoken to," he responded, waving a fat finger in front of her face.

"Don't talk to her like that Nicholas," growled Darien, his glare threatening.

"Don't give me lessons on how to behave, _son_. Your little adventure with the police has brought a lot of bad publicity to Chiba Incorporated. You should watch who you associate yourself with."

"You would know all about bad publicity, wouldn't you, _uncle_?"

Nicholas smiled, his pristine veneers even more brilliant beneath the spotlight. Darien was shocked when the man reached out and slapped him across the face. Disbelief filled his eyes as he stumbled back, his hand gripping the painful side of his cheek where he had been struck. "You forget who you're talking to."

Darien remained quiet, but the vehement glare in his eye spoke for him. Serena watched, shocked at the behavior of both men. Darien had never mentioned having an uncle, especially one as overbearing as him.

With shaky legs the older man bent down and collected the idle ring from Serena's feet, stuffed it back into its confinements and thrust it into the front pocket of Darien's suit coat. "I take it you spent a good amount of your father's money on that ring. Might as well take it back, you won't be needing it," said Nicholas, his eyes falling to Serena. "Go to the front and get the valet to bring around your car, Darien. You and I have many things to discuss."

The younger man remained rooted in the spot, his eyes never leaning his uncle. "Defiant are we? Cooperate, or you might lose something, very important you," he said, glancing sideways at Serena as she watched the exchange between them. If Darien knew anything about his uncle, it was that he wasn't to be challenged. Despite Darien's disinterest in the family business, he knew enough about it to know how ruthless and cutthroat his uncle could be.

He walked toward Serena, removed the small box from his pocket and opened it. The diamond center of the ring winked playfully at her as he held the box before her. "This belongs to you," said Darien, taking the ring out and placing it gently on her finger before planting a chaste kiss on her head. "Thank you for tonight, but I have to go."

He offered her no other response, but instead followed his uncle as he limped from the room. Giving Serena no last glance, Darien closed the door behind him and ventured into the hall with his companion, leaving the entire room in the grip of shock and causing Serena to question who Nicholas Chiba actually was and if she knew the man that she was possibly engaged to marry as well as she thought.


	2. Chapter 2: Sparkling Diamonds

Chapter Two:

Sparkling Diamonds

A/N: It's been forever. Trust me...I know...i got distracted...it's really for a stupid reason. Anyone still reading this? Review and let me know.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my car.

* * *

It burned…the brandy…flaming amber liquid stinging the back of his throat like a fiery torch. It seemed to be the only thing that could quell the fire within him, the resonating sting of anger that was festering in his chest like maggots writhing within raw meat. He fingered the cold marble that sat atop the elegant desk…it was rich and gaudy, mirroring the tastes of his self absorbed uncle.

Silence reigned heavily in his ear, the ticking of the clock like audible gun shots, penetrating the solace of the furnished room with sudden bursts of sound. How long had it been, minutes, hours? Time seemed to be slithering by like a slug, and the remnants of pained emotion mixed with angry despair left a staunch trail of slime behind it.

No doubt his uncle was testing him. It was something Nicholas was exceptionally good at. The proverbial mind fuck of sorts, pushing his opponents with psychological force until the breaking point when he would finally swoop in like a circling vulture, ripping and tearing at his prey until nothing was left. It was the reason that Nicholas was such a good business man. He would destroy a man in an instant and dance on the rotting flesh if he could. It was the reason Darien never got involved in the family business…he was a lot of things, but a cutthroat son of a bitch wasn't one of them.

He swirled the goblet in his hand, the sparkling liquid staining the crystal brown before sliding into place near the bottom of the glass. By the time Nicholas arrived, Darien would be drunk and their verbal confrontation would be substituted by lolling heads and angry slurs. But maybe this was all part of the plan and Darien was just a small notch in the scheme of things.

He tapped his foot against the floor, the heel of his expensive shoes clicking so loudly against the shiny, spotless wood that he didn't hear the tapping of his uncle's cane or the turning of the door knob. Until the older Chiba cleared his throat, Darien hadn't even known that there was another presence in the room with him. He craned his neck slightly as the tap of the cane came closer, but never turned to meet the rueful gaze of his towering relative.

Nicholas rounded the chairs slowly, studying Darien's rigid composure as he slouched against the gilded chair, his hand loosely gripping the glass, the other balled into a fist at his right. He looked like a self righteous prince of sorts, good looking and spoiled and bored with his entire fucking life. He was just like his god damn father, arrogant and stubborn. Nicholas smirked. He would beat that out of him soon enough.

Nicholas studied him quietly before laying his cane against the desk, the golden hilt sparkling under the iridescent lights above. Darien mused to himself, that cane probably cost more than his entire college education. "I'm at odds Darien, I truly am," began Nicholas, leaning against the desk, his plump elbows digging into the surface as blue eyes met grey. "You're far too old to be letting your dick lead you to making poor decisions."

Darien's eyes narrowed into slits as his grip tightened around the goblet. So that's what this is about. Serena. He would have guessed that something as trivial as his love life would not have been a great concern to Nicholas. But in business, especially at their level, everything was politics and class, the haves and the have not's. "Aren't you a bit old to be monitoring who I am and am not dating, _Uncle_?"

Nicholas chuckled. "You have a point, son, I shouldn't have to be monitoring you like an infant but here I am." He shrugged. "While you were screwing your blonde little tramp of a girlfriend, I was securing our legacy in Hong Kong. I thought I could trust you to keep yourself out of trouble, but what do I see on the news? You and that girl."

"So the fact that I was saving her life is no which way to you then?"

"Darien in our line of work, any publicity that doesn't have us adopting children from Africa or giving to the poor is bad publicity. What does your little stunt on TV tell stock holders, buyers, lawyers? It tells them that you're hanging around the wrong crowd. That you're irresponsible, that you're not ready to take things over when I die. "

Darien scoffed at his comment. "Even on your death bed you wouldn't hand this company over to me. It doesn't matter that we're family, it doesn't matter that your only brother was my father, you would have your trustees and your stock holders in your pocket from the moment you get sick till the day that_ I_ die."

"Look around, you're all I have left. No one to secure my legacy, no heir, just an incompetent, sensitive little brat who lives in the shadow of his father's success, burning his money on trinkets like that ring you gave _her_."

"_Her_ has a name, you know. And you should get used to saying it. She's going to be your in-law soon enough," replied Darien, a defiant sparkle in his eye.

Nicholas pondered momentarily, a sly smile forming against his lips. "Can you really be that selfish? I would hate for something else bad to happen to this girl…considering you love her so much."

"Are you threatening her?" Darien asked, his body jerking into rigid attention, his eyes burning with epic fury.

Nicholas smirked. "Am I, son? Sometimes, as a business man, you have to take out the trash. She seems sweet enough; you don't want to cut her life short, do you? And don't think I won't boy. When you have the law in your pocket, you can get away with murder. "

"You're lying," spat Darien, grabbing his coat and slamming the chalice against the desk so harshly that it shattered into hundreds of tiny little pieces that flew slowly into the air, glistening under the lights as they fell like shimmering, sparkling diamonds. The Brandy, like brown droplets of dirty tears mixed with the glass, fondling and coating the shards as they fell, dropping to the floor and staining the wood like blood. He stared there for a moment, caught up in the steady emotions warring within him.

"I've done worse," muttered Nicholas, his voice a hoarse whisper, his eyes too fixated on the remnants of crystal shining on his desk, lonely traces of the precious glass.

Darien looked up at him, stern blue eyes meeting the watery, sad grey orbs of the man he called uncle. The emotion lingered for only a moment within him, but for a remote second, for a moment in time, he saw something in his uncle's eyes that he had truly never seen before. _Regret._ What had he done so horrible to melt his stone like resolve? The demons of his past seemed to be approaching and for that second Nicholas truly felt the cold sting of true guilt against his heart.

And it hurt.

* * *

He was edgy and twitchy and buzzed enough to be legally drunk. The elevators in the lights hurt his eyes and his hands, they wouldn't stop shaking. In the deep recesses of his mind he wanted to believe that his uncle was bluffing, trying to scare him into submission. But the glance that he caught in the stillness of the moment…the vulnerability in his eyes…he truly believed his uncle had indeed done something unforgivable.

He ran his fingers through his hair, the silken strands tangling as he gripped the back of his head. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He couldn't…he couldn't just leave her. He didn't want to be one of _those _guys. The tragic hero in fairytale's who gives up the girl for the _greater good_. He didn't want to be that kind of pompous ass hole that didn't give her a choice in the matter. That loved her _so _much that he would sacrifice his happiness just to make sure she was safe. He wasn't a fucking masochist.

But upon on further reflection he thought…no knew…that he would give Serena up within a second to keep her safe. He loved her; he loved her enough to let her go and all that chivalrous bullshit.

The ringing of the elevator door chimed painfully in his ear and he quickly recalled why he didn't like drinking. The golden doors opened and as he lunged forward to exit he paused momentarily, his eyes falling upon a gorgeous hunter green; emerald eyes belonging to a voluptuous brunette that stared boldly back at him.

"I figured you'd still be here," she said, smiling up at him. His eyes narrowed and he glanced around quickly. When he realized there was no one else within the elevator he recognized that she indeed _was_ talking to him. "You don't remember me?" she asked softly, pressing her hand against the elevator doors as they attempted to close on her. "I didn't think you would, after your accident and all."

Did he remember her? There was a familiarity…but how many pretty brunette girls had he seen, hell, dated in his lifetime? A lot. He wasn't exactly a prude. Was she someone he had been involved with at some point? "How do you know about my accident?" he asked as she stepped into the elevator and watched the golden doors close before him. She smiled into her reflection and he could, for all intents and purposes, appreciate just how pretty she was.

The brunette was about a head taller than Serena. Her eyes, although green, were dark and foggy. If he had to describe them, he would call them bedroom eyes. She seemed like that kind of girl who stared at a guy until she clouded his mind, until he was throbbing with desire, until all consequences to his actions were forgotten and only the lustful embrace of the moment forced him to stray. She seemed like _that_ kind of girl.

"Believe it or not we used to be best friends," she said, her voice far away, memories of a simpler time carrying her back to their childhood. "I've know you for a long time, but it's been years since I've seen you."

"Best friends?" He shook his head before shoving his hands in his pockets. "I find that hard to believe. I don't even know your name."

"Eva," she said simply, pressing a metal key, her ears perking as the elevator came to life and began ascending the golden tower once again. He remotely wondered where she was taking them and was even more curious in regards to why he was following her lead. "I lived next door to you when we were young. I knew your mother and father. And your uncle. He's actually the reason why I'm here. He said you were going through some stuff and that you needed an old friend."

Darien laughed knowingly. "Yeah _that's_ why he sent you. To tempt me, no doubt."

"What?" she asked, looking at him. Her features were bright and despite the fact that she did have…bedroom eyes…she seemed sweet. Darien shook his head. He couldn't have dated her. Before Serena, sweet wasn't exactly his type.

"Nothing," he said, looking away from her as the elevator doors opened before them. "I'm engaged. Kind of."

She laughed; a sweet kind of hearty laugh. Even to himself and his drunken mind that didn't make sense. "How can you be _kind of_ engaged?"

"Long story."

"Why don't you come inside and tell me?" she asked, beckoning him in with a gentle, innocent smile. He remained locked in stance. "Come on, I'm not going to do anything to you. You're kind of engaged, remember?"

"I've had a long night," he said honestly, rubbing the back of his neck.

She smiled again; that damn smile. It made her face light up in a way that made him feel calm. It was familiar, something he knew, something that made him feel oddly at ease. Following her was a bad idea; he knew that…but if she really did know him from long ago, maybe she could shed some light on his past. He wondered….he wondered about a lot of things. So many questions that were always left unanswered.

He moved slothfully toward her and she grinned as he followed step behind her. He looked at the elevator, turmoil reigning over his mind. The doors closed and his final chance at escape was swallowed up into the ground as the lift descended into the depths of the hotel. She opened the door slowly and he watched as the rays of the moonlight were chased away by the shadows of the two figures that were entering the darkened room.

What the hell was he getting himself into?

* * *

"Drink?" she asked, removing the pearl necklace that adorned her neck and tossing it onto the couch as she approached the bar.

"I've had enough for tonight thanks." He looked around, taking in the surroundings. The sitting room was decorated nicely enough. She had good taste and a lot of cash, he could tell that by the quality of the décor.

"So, tell me about your fiancée," she said, pouring clear liquid into a glass and bringing it to her lips. The glass stained red, traces of her lipstick a clashing crimson against the clear surface of the cup.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" He didn't want to talk about Serena. Not when she was probably worrying about him. Not when he knew he shouldn't be here.

She smiled. "Let's see…where to start? You want my complete biography or the abridged version?"

He smirked. "Just give it to me straight," he said, plunging his hands into his pockets and leaning against a nearby column.

"Okay. I grew up in Kyoto with you. Your mom, Liz, she liked that place opposed to the city. You would come and spend summers there with your family. We met at a play date. Your mother said you were too serious and that Uncle Nicholas was having a bad influence on you. So she forced you to play with me. You followed me around the whole day, telling me that you didn't like girls and that you didn't want to be my friend. I punched you in the face. We were inseparable after that." She chuckled at the memory. "I'm 21 years old, I play the violin for a living, I just graduated from Cambridge and I'm taking a break to explore my options."

"Don't want to explore your options in Europe?"

She smiled. "No, Europe is different….I want to get back to my roots. Besides my mother died about a month ago. I was really far away when she was sick. My dad's getting pretty old and he's lonely…I don't want to be…I mean if something happens…" her eyes stung, the death of her mother a clear picture in her mind.

Darien regretted bringing it up. She looked as though she were on the verge of tears. He was searching for the right thing to say to get him out of such an uncomfortable situation when a searing pain shot through his head. He cupped his temple, his eyes shutting quickly as another wave of agony washed over him. He grunted loudly, his legs giving away as a cloudy fog washed over him…what the hell was happening? As he clenched his head in pain he felt soft hands grip his face and the sound of a woman screaming his name….

All he wanted was Serena…all he wanted was for the pain to stop. She was repeating his name over and over again, her screams were like a haunting, piercing cry in his ear and as a shadowy blackness drew near a vision behind his eyes stirred him from the present as he saw the figure of his mother, brushing her soft finger tips against his face gently, smiling and telling him that everything was going to be alright.


	3. Chapter 3: Crossroads

* * *

Chapter 3

Crossroads

_Please Review_

_Dark themes ahead people. You've been warned. _

* * *

His insides were squirming, his hands trembling as he searched the jingling chain of metal for the right keys. A thin layer of sweat was dampening his skin, and his flesh felt itchy, like his insides were trying to burst from the meat sack covering his bones. He hadn't felt like this since he was sixteen; uneasy and nervous, a twitchy puddle of blood and organs. He closed his eyes shut, steadying his breath. He briefly mused to himself and even inwardly chuckled at the thought that Eva had poisoned him; slipped a roofie into his drink. If he hadn't felt like this before he would have given more thought to the possibility, but these symptoms had for a while, been a consistent recurrence.

He had been standing in front of his apartment for a while, staring at the front door, eyeing the mahogany wood patterns that fell and swooped against the lumber like silky brown patches of dirty water. Actually, he barely recalled how he had even gotten back home. He remembered the god awful headache; _that _he remembered. In fact, he couldn't forget; it was a pain of all pains, a searing agony that bit and gnawed at his brain until darkness overwhelmed him. He hadn't had a migraine like that since he had woken up in a hospital bed, the morning after his accident, brandishing new wounds.

His fingers latched around the cold steel before taking it and plunging it into the keyhole. It took damn near two tries before he was able to get it into the opening. With a flick of his wrist he turned the knob, pressed open the door and stepped inside of his apartment, his blue eyes falling upon the rigid stance of his girlfriend, her lips parted with surprise, her pale skin flushed a deep red.

She rushed toward him, wrapping her arms around his body, burying her face in his neck, taking in the sight of him, the smell of him. When he made no move to return the embrace, she tensed and released him, looking up with bewildered eyes, shadowed by a small dose of hurt.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her fingertips grazing the sleeves of his shirt, the warmth from her hands heating his damp skin. "I was worried."

He looked at her, silent, his gaze falling to her hands that had grabbed his own, the sparkling diamond glistening beneath the halogen lights.

"I'm surprised you're even wearing that," he said, his voice gruff. He moved around her, pulling off his coat, loosening the top buttons of his shirt before exhaling sharply.

She looked surprised, her mouth dangling open before she replied. "You gave it to me, you said it belonged to me."

"I know what I said," he mumbled, turning to face her. "I'm sorry tonight didn't turn out the way you wanted it to."

Her eyes narrowed, he was acting strange, nonchalant. "Tonight was for you, Darien."

"I know that. I didn't expect my uncle to show up there."

"None of us did," she said honestly, stepping towards him. "What happened? I mean…what did he want?"

"To talk. About the family business," he lied, glancing at the wooden floors before turning his attention back to her.

"That's it? You were gone for a long time. I was worried."

He didn't want to lie to her. "I met someone, from my past. We talked and I came home."

He was being too vague for her liking and there was something different about his demeanor, his stance, he seemed cold; cold like his uncle. "And that's it?"

"Yeah that's it." He sighed again. There was nothing more to say. Nothing happened between them. Eva said her spiel, he blacked out, stumbled out of her hotel, drove himself home.

"Here," she said, taking his hand pulling him toward his bedroom. "Let me run some bath water for you. It'll help you relax, I'm sure the meeting with your uncle was full of hugs and giggles."

He smirked at her sarcasm. "I think I'll just shower. I'm tired, Serena." He paused, turning to face her. "You should probably go. I'll drive you home."

Her lips pursed. "I thought I would stay with you. It's your birthday, after all."

"I know. I just…I've gotten you into enough trouble as it is…your father will have a fit if you spend another night here. "

She shrugged. "I don't care. I want to be here with you."

"I know," he said, the keys jiggling in his pocket. "But I have a lot on my mind…I just…need to be alone, that's all."

Her expression remained passive. There was something he wasn't telling her, something that he was hiding from her and she knew it. Grabbing her coat, Serena tried to convince herself that it was nothing; that his uncle was displeased with him for one reason or another, and he needed time to think things through. Everything would be okay.

Yet as he ushered her from the room, his hand resting precariously on her back, she felt that something in him had changed tonight, that the darkness, the sadness that she had occasionally glimpsed behind his eyes was struggling to break free, to imprison him in a hell of ominous thoughts and grief. She mused to herself that everything would be okay, that they would make it through this.

No matter what it was that was trying to destroy him, uncle or thoughts unspoken, she could always be there to save him.

* * *

"Did he tell you what happened?" asked Mina, sipping her Shirley Temple as she watched Serena prod at the burger that sat untouched on her plate.

"No," she responded, her voice far off and empty. "He said they talked about the family business."

"But you said he was gone until nearly three in the morning!" cried Lita, crossing her arms over chest and leaning back in the chair.

"He said he ran into an old friend."

"Did he give you a name?" Mina asked.

"No. He wasn't exactly in a sharing mood when he came home."

"Well, you guys are getting married, he's going to have to learn to open up to you about his past," said the blonde, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her back and popping an onion ring into her mouth. "These need more garlic. Where's the waiter?"

"No!," yelled Lita, grabbing the plate and removing it from the presence of her friend. "I'm driving you home and I'm going to have to sit in the care with your _more garlic_."

Mina frowned. "I'm not so sure he even wants to marry me now," Serena mumbled, pushing the plate away from her and wiping her hands in the napkin that was resting against her lap. "He was so distant last night. He even seemed surprised I was wearing the ring."

"Well it wasn't exactly a proper proposal you know," said Lita. "Maybe he was just surprised that you accepted."

"Maybe."

Lita paused to study her friend, she looked doubtful and scared. "Are _you_ having second thoughts, Serena?"

"No," she said looking down at the sparkling trinket. "Yes. I don't know. Maybe we're rushing into things. We only started dating a month ago and there's so much I don't know about Darien. There's so much that he doesn't know about himself."

"What do you mean?" asked Mina, reaching for the onion rings before Lita playfully swatted her hand away.

"Darien's parents died in a car accident when he was a kid. He was in the car when it happened. He woke up in the hospital with some severe injuries to his brain. He said the doctors told him that he had global amnesia and that he may never get his memories back because of it."

"So where does this uncle come in?" asked Lita.

"I don't know. Darien never mentioned him to me before. I didn't even know that he had surviving relatives."

Mina sighed. "We've all known Darien for such a long time, you know, and we don't know that much about him. He was always vague and private when it came to his personal life. I think none of us really ever realized that he was a Chiba. His uncle practically owns all of Tokyo."

Lita chuckled. "Well it's not something that comes up in everyday conversation. Can you imagine him walking up to people and just mentioning out of the blue that he was a multi-millionaire?"

"But that's what I mean, you guys, there are so many things, little things, big things, that I just don't know about him."

"Serena, it would take you an entire lifetime to figure out all of Darien's quirks and secrets. Your parents have been married forever and I'm sure they find out new things about each other every day," Mina said soothingly.

"But this, this is different," Serena said, blinking quickly. "I just feel like there are so many things, important things, he's not telling me. Things that I should probably know. Everything feels different now. I just don't know what to do."

"Do you love him?" asked the brunette.

"Of course I love him. But right now, I'm sure that that's going to be enough."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" asked Darien, running his fingers through disheveled locks as he surveyed the woman before him. She looked even prettier than she did last night. Her dark hair was falling into her eyes, luscious locks cascading down her shoulders and over her breasts. She was wearing a black pea coat with a Burberry scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. Her smoky lids were dusted with flecks of navy blue and gray, highlighting the forest green eyes that stared at him with languid intensity.

"I just stopped by to say hello," she said, her voice steady. "Can I come in?"

He hesitated. "No."

She smiled sweetly. "Why not? I drove here just to see if you were okay. You blacked out in my hotel room last night, left and didn't even bother to let me know you made it back alive. Just because you don't remember me doesn't mean I don't care about you, Darien."

He sighed before moving out of the way so that she could enter his apartment. She glanced around appreciatively before staring up at him. "You _are_ okay right?" she asked, stepping closer to him, staring at the bags under his eyes. "I mean, your headaches used to be much worse. I'm just surprised you're still having them."

"Much worse, huh?"

"You don't remember those either?" she asked, pulling off her scarf and letting it fall to the couch before leaning against the sofa.

"Kind of. When I think about them, everything seems blurry. Almost like it was a dream."

"Well, that's normal considering what happened to you. It's not every day you meet a person that's had two traumatic injuries to their brains. You're lucky you turned out the way you did. You could have made things way worse for yourself."

"Worse for myself? You're acting like I did it on purpose," he said, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her.

She sighed. "You don't want t to talk about it, that's fine, but I was there for you. We were…close. I could have helped you, if only you told me what you were feeling."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Darien asked, his voice raising. All of a sudden he felt queasy, angry, confused.

"Never mind," she said, raising her hands up in surrender. "I didn't come here to fight with you or bring up old stuff, okay."

"No, it's not okay. Where the hell were you going with this? What exactly are you implying?"

"You know what I'm implying, you know what you did! And worst off, you didn't…you just left afterwards. I know you had amnesia and you were obviously upset, but you didn't even try to work things out with me, with your Uncle, with anyone! You deserted all of us!"

"I barely remember my Uncle and I certainly don't remember you. I'm not going to apologize for something I don't remember doing. And maybe I was driving erratically, but implying that I drove into the cliff on purpose..."

"Implying? Who's implying it? I can't even imagine what you were thinking."

"I don't know what I was thinking! I don't remember what happened, damn it!"

"Well I do, I remember you lying in that hospital bed, I remember holding your hand, touching your face as you laid in that hospital bed _again_ and all I remembered thinking, asking myself, was why didn't you come to me. I would have helped you. I would have tried to make things better. Easier for you."

Darien watched as steady streaks of clear tears fell from her eyes. She looked away from him into the sunlight, into the clouds as she sniffled and sighed. "I'm sorry…I don't remember," he said.

"Darien," she said quietly, walking towards him and letting her fingers brush against his cheek. "You tried to kill yourself."


	4. Chapter 4: The Divine Comedy

Bait and Switch

Chapter 4: The Divine Comedy

* * *

A/N: So…there might be something you don't like at the end of this chapter, but it had to be done. Don't hate me too much and please review.

Rating: M (for language and adult themes)

* * *

The mug was steaming beneath him; black sludge mixed with heavy cream and a shot of brandy, a thick concoction of caffeine, booze, and sugar. His head rested above it, the smoke heating the tip of his prickly chin that was peppered with black flecks of stubble. He ran his hands through his hair for the millionth time, his fingers snagging on a tangle before he slammed his fist painfully on the dining table. The wooden surface jiggled slightly, sending the untouched photos flying off in various directions.

Slowly he reached forward, his fingertips brushing against glossy paper, caressing the smiling images of his mother, his father, his former self. _She was lying; she had to be._ For the last day or so, Darien Chiba had become a recluse of sorts, barring himself away in strict confinement, imprisoning himself within the familiar walls of his apartment, wallowing in a world of self doubt.

Could he really give any truth to what Eva had told him? After all, he didn't know anything about this girl. All he knew, was what she told him, that they were friends some time ago, that he had left after he…after his second accident. But when he went into the shell of his mind, searched for her face in his memories, he found nothing, felt nothing for the brunette that regaled him with stories of a lifetime of friendship.

He looked to his phone, the silver device sat blinking angrily at the corner of the table, ignored and untouched. Andrew had called him multiple times, Serena even more; he had made no attempt to contact either of them. It was a strange feeling, this solitude, this overwhelming sense of loneliness. He looked around the dimly lit apartment, his eyes falling on the kaleidoscope of color that showered the hardwood floors of his apartment in a brilliant wash of hues.

His eyes fell onto the wet bar near the kitchen; he considered opening another bottle of scotch, but figured his bladder couldn't take anymore booze. He had already pissed damn near five times in the last hour. He wasn't an alcoholic, not by any means, but now and again even he needed to escape the confines of his own mind and sometimes that meant taking a swig of the sauce.

A knock on the door shook him from his stupor and he spun in his seat to survey the wooden barricade. It was about time he faced the music; either Andrew would bust in here and rip him a new one because he was acting like an asshole or Serena would be staring at him behind the door with those damn blue eyes that made him feel so many different things.

He sauntered to the door knob and combed his fingers through his hair. He could see his reflection in the looking glass and realized that he looked like shit. He felt like shit too.

The brunette grabbed the handle, twisted and found himself greeted by a pair of concerned baby blues. She took in his appearance, her eyes widening at his face and grimacing at the stains on his t-shirt. They were beer stains. Never try to pop a can open when you're pissed off and already punch drunk.

"Can I…come in?" Come to think of it, Serena wasn't really sure if she wanted to come in. She looked him over again; either there were booze stains on his shirt or he had figured out a way to piss upwards. Whatever it was, it left a lot to be desired. What had happened to her suave, always clean shaven boyfriend? Had this been the man that had been hiding under that unerring sense of confidence? She wrung her hands.

"Sure," he said, amused by the way she was looking at him.

Serena edged into the room just as turned around to close the door. He snuck in a sniff of his armpits; thank god for deodorant. He hadn't showered in a while.

"I know there's something you're not telling me," she said, spinning to face him. Way to get straight to the point.

He sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. There are things you wouldn't understand."

"Then help me understand."

"How can I do that, when I don't quite understand it myself?"

Frowning, she walked toward him, her small body coming to stop before his larger one, her arms enveloping his person as she leaned into him. By instinct he returned the gesture and pulled her into him tightly, her breasts crushing against his lower chest. He had forgotten how good it felt to hold her, to be held by anyone.

"I'm sorry, Serena."

"I know, it's okay." She released him and he felt a loss for her warmth. "I think…I think we need to talk, about this." She gestured to her hand and the ring that sat lonely in her palm.

His eyebrows hitched at the top of his head. "I thought you wanted to keep that."

"I did. Do you want me to keep it?"

"I gave it to you."

"You keep saying that," she said, her arm still stretched towards him. "But the fact is, this isn't just a pretty piece of jewelry Darien. It's a physical manifestation of a promise. A promise to share your life with me, all the good things and the bad. A promise to spend our lives together until we die. And I don't…I don't know if either one of us is ready for that. Look at us, you won't even speak to me. You just, shut down at the first sign of trouble. I feel like you're shutting me out of your life. How can we get married, if you won't even talk to me?"

He stared at her quietly, his lips pursed. What the hell was she trying to say to him? "You want me to take it back?"

She sighed again, her palm still upwards toward him. "I want you to tell me why you gave this to me."

His lips parted to speak, but the words seemed like they were taken from him. "I gave it to you because I love you," he finally said. "Because I want to spend my life loving you."

"Okay, then start now. Love is about trust, you know, and I need to trust you. That means I need you to be honest with me. Starting now. If you can't do that, then you should take this back."

He was surprised by her admission; surprised and impressed as hell. She was strong, he knew that, maybe even stronger than him.

Her companion was silent for a moment, silent and contemplative. He swayed slowly before walking toward the dining table, taking a picture and handing it to Serena. She took it from him with her free hand and with her other, placed the diamond ring in her pocket. The fact that she wouldn't wear it spoke volumes.

Her blue eyes swept across the photo, she studied it, held it gently between her thumb and index finger. There were five people in the picture, two children, no older than five smiling brightly at the camera, dressed in traditional kimono. The boy was obviously Darien; the other girl she didn't know. It was a perfect moment captured in time. The younger version of her boyfriend was smiling brightly, a mischievous grin brightening his face.

She looked to the people behind him, two adults in the foreground, one lurking behind. The woman was beautiful, tall, with strawberry blonde hair that dangled past her breasts in large barrel curls. She was elegant looking and thin. Her eyes were hazel and sparkling like topaz orbs in the daylight. The man to her right was holding the woman and looked just like a much older version of Darien. His eyes were midnight blue, his jaw strong, his face handsome. He was much taller than the woman, with broad strong shoulders and a muscular frame.

Finally her eyes locked upon the contemptuous gaze of the man standing idly behind the group. It was a face she recognized; it was the infamous uncle that had come and ruined Darien's birthday. He seemed out of place in the photo, like a dark cloud hovering over a tranquil menagerie. The strange thing was, the man was obviously meant to be in the photo, but he wasn't staring at the camera. His eyes, slanted and angry, were staring directly at the scalp of the brunette man smiling happily in the foreground of the portrait.

"These are your parents?" asked Serena, looking up to him, her fingertips squeezing the picture.

"Yes, that's my father, Damien and my mother Elisabeth," Darien said aloofly, before leaning against the backside of the couch.

Serena flipped over the picture and noticed a few names and a date scrawled over the back of the photograph. "And that's your uncle?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"He's like a ray of sunshine in this picture."

"From what I've heard he and my father never really got along. Nicholas had some issues…I guess some stuff happened between them around this time…They never really reconciled after all that happened."

She nodded. "Who's the little girl?"

Darien frowned. "Eva. She's an old friend."

"She's cute."

"Yeah. The other night…she was the old friend that came back. I saw her on my way home from talking to Nicholas."

Serena's eyes widened but she remained calm. "Why couldn't you tell me that after it happened?"

"I don't know. There was something about her…I felt guilty," he said honestly.

She cleared her throat. "Did you do anything with her?" It wasn't accusatory.

"No. She wanted to talk, so I went to her place." He paused to watch her expression, but Serena remained stoic. "She sort of told me about herself and then I…"

She frowned. "Then you what?"

"I guess I just blacked out."

"You blacked out? Did she do something to you?"

Darien laughed at her face. "Calm down, honey, she didn't _do_ anything to me." He rubbed his chin. "I used to have these little fits all the time…migraines…it was because of my accident. I hadn't had one in a long time though. I'm not sure what triggered it."

"But you're okay now, right?" she asked, setting the picture on an end table and walking toward him. She reached out and touched his cheek and was surprised how prickly the needle thin hairs were.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm sorry, that I lied. I just…seeing him again…I don't know. Just the look on his face makes me uneasy, angry. The minute he walked into the banquet hall that night…it's like the world stopped revolving and then he…threatened you…"

"He threatened me?"

"Not literally…I don't think he'd actually do anything…I don't know. He doesn't want me to be with you."

"Is this why you were pushing me away?"

"No, I told you, all of this shit going on, Eva popping up, Nicholas coming back to Tokyo, I guess I'm on edge. I never meant to shut you out, to make you feel like you didn't matter." He wrapped his hands around the small of her waist and pulled her to him. "You're the most important person in my life. I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone. The last thing I want to do is force you out of my life. But there are so many things that I'm still figuring out. I would understand if _you_ were the one that didn't want to be with _me_."

She smiled at him gently, her hands snaking around the back of his neck and pulling his lips against hers tenderly. She sighed into his kiss, tasting the tart acidic tang of coffee and brandy against his tongue, on the inside of his mouth. His hands tightened around her waist as he dragged her hips against him, his mouth continuing to move slowly, sensuously against hers. She could feel his excitement, his arousal pulsing against her lower abdomen and when his fingertips suddenly brushed against her bare back, she tensed, fear replacing the budding desire that was dwelling within her.

He could feel her seize up in his arms, and he immediately let her go as she recoiled away from him, confusion and panic in her eyes.

"Serena…"

"I'm sorry," she said, wringing her hands together and hugging herself tightly.

"Are you still having those dreams?" She nodded. He felt like she just knocked the air out his lungs. All this time that he had been spending alone, he had forgotten that part of her was still hurting, that sometimes she woke up screaming, crying, struggling against the invisible hands belonging to a man that was recently deceased. "I'm sorry, baby."

She smiled softly. "It's okay. I'll be fine…it's just…I can't explain it." She was breathing hard. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry…I want to…with you. I just can't right now."

"Don't say you're sorry, Serena. I'm not going to rush you into anything you're not ready for. I'll wait forever for you." Her heart ached at his honesty. "But there is _something_ that I need from you."

Her eyebrow arched. "And what's that?"

"I need for you to give me that ring back." Her mouth opened in shock as she reached shakily into her pocket for the diamond in question. She had never expected for him to actually take it back. It felt like her heart dropped out of her ass. Looking at the large beer stain beneath his collar she handed him the sparkling jewel, grimacing as it dropped from her hand to his. "I need you to give it back to me so I can ask you properly. Without interruptions."

Her hands covered her mouth in shock as he dropped to one knee and held the ring out in front of her. "I know the last couple of days have been rough and that I haven't been the best boyfriend in the world. I apologize for that. But I promise I will spend the rest of my life making you happy. You've given to me in a few months what I haven't had in years. Love. And I want to spend my life loving you. Will you marry me?"

Serena flashed him a smile so beautiful it made his chest ache. She nodded her head fervently. "Yes, of course I will!" She launched herself into his arms and kissed him hard before he took her left hand and slid the diamond trinket back onto her finger.

"Now, let me take a shower and we can have the rest of the day to ourselves."

Serena grinned. "Good, 'cause you look like shit."

He laughed as he walked away. "We're not even married yet and you're nagging me already." He turned to wink at her. "I love it."

* * *

The sound of clicking high heeled shoes bounced around the quietness of the palatial halls as the woman walked, her long dark tresses bouncing gently against her back. She nodded to the nurse rounding the corner, a silver tray pressed firmly in her hands as she paced down the hall. Places like this always made her uncomfortable. It seemed like her life had revolved around hospitals. After all, she was the one visiting her mother consistently after all of her miscarriages, sitting in wait for Darien after appointments with neurologists, therapists, holding the hand of her mother as she lay dying against the spongy surface of her assigned bed.

She was perpetually rooted to these buildings; stuck in a cycle of pain and death, an outsider peering into the looking glass, a visitor in a world painkillers and disease. She hated feeling so resentful like this; the trauma of her past rarely caught up with her, rarely reared its head and doused the flame of her otherwise jovial disposition, but today was one of those days and she was certainly dreading being back in Tokyo.

In truth, she hadn't intended on ever returning to the crowded city, she had made up her mind months ago to leave the country and never return, but events out of her control had forced her back into the commercial bosom of Japan, and here she was nearing closer and closer to the sole reason that she was here: her father.

They had never had that great father daughter relationship. You know, like the ones you see in movies. Baseball games, prom dates, talks about boys in the summer, lollipops and ice cream trucks. Gregory Watson had always been a business man first and a father second. He became even more of a distant figure in her life after her mother died. But now, in the peaks of adulthood, her father was the only spec of family she had left. And she wasn't going to let him die alone, like her poor mother had. She could spare the time to be with him, help him recover from his illness, or hold his hands when he closed his eyes if he didn't.

She swiped the keycard over the reader before pressing the wooden door open. The light was bathed in opulent radiance, well deserved too, considering what they were paying for personal care. She removed the beige scarf from her neck and laid it on the coat rack near the door, took off her shoes and laid her purse on the table.

"Gregory?" she questioned, stepping deeper into the sitting room. "Gregory where are you?" Her relationship with her father was strained to say the least. Why award them with patrilineal titles that they didn't deserve?

"Now, Eva, is that the way to address daddy dearest?" asked a voice that she knew did not belong to her father. Her eyes rose to face him.

"What are you doing here Nicholas?" she asked, surprised. The air left her lungs as he walked towards her.

"I think it's time you and I have a little talk," said the older man, turning from the doorway and walking into the bedroom on the east side of the apartment. Seconds later he wheeled out Gregory Watson, hunched over and emaciated, a breathing tube thrust within his nostrils. "Don't you think so, Gregory?"

* * *

He groaned in his sleep, his hands fisting the covers so tightly that his blood pressed away from where his fingers were pressing into his palms. His back arched, his breathing erratic as his hair fell into his eyes and swept across his damp forehead. Even in his state of unconsciousness he could feel her arms around him, her breath hot against his neck.

"_Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his hands on her bare hips, her body straddling him against the chair._

_She smiled. "I love you and you love me. I can't think of any reason why we shouldn't do this." He reached toward her and let his hands slide down her smooth back, his fingers brushing against the lace of the bra that covered her breasts. "Can you?"_

_He smirked. "No, I guess not. I love your back, I love the dimples right above your ass. I love your voice, I love you."_

"_I know," she said, watching with cloudy eyes as he removed her bra and surveyed the pair of breasts that were sitting idly across from them. She groaned when he touched them, when he opened his mouth and devoured each one of her swollen mounds._

_She hovered over him and he could feel his tip against her, feel her as she lowered herself down on top of him, her warmth tight and inviting around him, feel her as she started to ride him, her movements pushing the doubt further from his mind and replacing it by sordid lust and unkempt desire._

He shot up in bed, pushing the covers away from Serena in the process, his breathing hard, heavy. His bare chest was covered in sweat, his palms clammy. He looked down, his eyes widening at the tented blanket that was resting against his pelvis. He steadied his breathing and looked to the woman beside him and then back to the darkness.

What the hell had just happened? Christ, he hadn't had a sex dream like that since…since really ever. He closed his eyes, picturing the woman's face as she bounced atop him. He knew exactly who she was; those dark green eyes of hers were lusty and unforgettable. He was having a sex dream about Eva, about the mystery girl who popped back into his life recently. He coughed and shuddered as he thought about it. Eva was sexy enough, she'd give any rationally thinking guy a wet dream, but what Darien feared most, was that this wasn't just a trounce through fantasyland with some dream girl, this, this he was sure, was a memory.

He covered his face with his hands, shuddering as he felt soft fingertips brush against his arm. He turned to his right to find Serena looking up at him, her eyes sleepy and full of concern.

"You okay?"

He shrugged her hand away. "Yeah."

She frowned before sitting up in bed. "Did you have a bad dream or something?"

He chuckled. "You could say that."

"But you're not going to tell me about it?"

"Trust me, Serena, I don't think you want to know."

She glowered at him. "I beg to differ."

He paused, frowned, gathered his thoughts. "It was about Eva."

"That little girl from the picture? The one that came to see you?"

"She's not a little girl anymore," he murmured.

"You know what I mean. What happened?"

Darien sighed. "I think I just got one of my memories back, from when I was a teenager."

"And it had to do with her?"

"Yeah," he said, looking at the curious expression on her face and feeling extremely guilty. "I think she was my first."


	5. Chapter 5: Faust

Chapter 5: Faust

* * *

A/N: Don't hate Darien…he's confused.

* * *

"I gave you one task, Eva, one thing to do and yet here we stand mission unaccomplished," said Nicholas, crossing his thick arms over the broadest part of his chest, his eyes narrowed with unwavering disappointment.

She froze, her eyes falling to her still father and to the man looming before him. "I haven't…Nicholas, he's in love with that girl, I wouldn't…he's been through so much already."

"So has your father, Eva, and this little hospice is the only thing keeping him alive right now. I could take that away; I could take everything away from you. Or I could give you the world, all you have to do, is do as I say."

She hesitated, inhaled, wrung her hands as her eyes fell onto her father, the sound of his labored breaths filling the room with an unyielding sense of helplessness, of surrender. She felt like giving up, giving in. She couldn't fight Nicholas Chiba, she would never win. "I went to see him, like you said, to tell him about our past."

"Did you tell him _everything_?" He asked, the lurid smirk on his face widening until the pristine whites of his teeth winked at her from behind moistened lips.

She frowned. "I told him enough. I told him about his accident and it freaked him out. He doesn't remember any of this Nicholas, he's not a threat to you. He just wants to marry that girl; he just wants to be happy and to be left alone."

The older man grimaced at the young woman. How pitiful and self righteous she was. She had no idea of the capacities of the human mind, the essence of memories, the true notions of fear. Darien could remember any day now and everything that he worked for, everything that he had _sacrificed_ would amount to nothing. This business, this sense of domination, the tangible power that he held over so many, it was all he had, and he would never let anyone take it away.

"Your poor father. It wasn't enough that he lost his company, his stock, his wealth-"

"He didn't lose anything!" Eva shouted, tiny hands balling into tight fists. "You stole everything from him. He trusted you and you betrayed him! You earned his trust and then broke him down with your lies."

Nicholas smirked. "Your father is a silly old fool who took a friendship that ended years ago and ran amuck with it. No one forced that pen into Gregory's hand."

"You manipulated him! My mother had just died for God's sake, he was hurting, he was ill and he trusted you, you son of a bitch!" she cried, angry tears forming against her lids, a clear sheet of liquid anger coating her jade eyes.

He was upon her in an instant, his thick, jeweled fingers around her neck, squeezing and gripping at the cylinder of flesh until her skin took on a pink hue, her cheeks flushing, the skin swirling with streaks of blue and red. She grabbed at his wrists, diminutive hands pulling helplessly as she tried to fight him off, begging with her eyes for him to release her.

"You listen to me you little bitch, I own your father's company, all of your assets, all of your money which means I own you. One word, one wrong move and your father will be out of this place and I'll let him die on the street. Do you understand me? We had an agreement, I keep daddy here alive, and relinquish company rights back to you if you get Darien away from that girl and under control," he cried, bits of warm saliva falling onto her face as he screamed. He shook her once again as her eyesight began to fade to black before letting her go and throwing her onto the floor.

Her father, powerless and limp thrashed in his wheelchair, his breathing tube rubbing painfully against his flesh as he watched in horror while Nicholas abused his daughter. He was so helpless in this shell and Eva, his Eva, was suffering for him.

The brunette cried out as she tumbled, her body falling into a nearby table before careening onto the ground. Tears spilled from her eyes as she took her first breath of air, her hands coming to clench the bruised skin upon her throat, her eyes leaking salty bits of tears as she coughed and sputtered on the ground.

"You don't have a choice in this Eva," said Nicholas, pulling the handkerchief from his coat pocket and tossing it to the ground beside her. "Clean yourself up, you look like a mess. Go to Darien, do whatever needs to be done to get him to sign those papers. You whored yourself out to him before, it wouldn't kill you to do it again."

Eva said nothing, hollow eyes focusing on the gray rubber wheel of her father's wheel chair. She remained still as the older man gathered his coat and sauntered toward the door, his face stoic and satisfied. He paused as he reached for the handle, inhaled, lowered his eyes to the ground. "I don't enjoy doing this to you, you know. Just do this one thing for me and you and your father will never want for anything again. You have my word."

She remained quiet, the stinging sensation around her throat subsiding as she waited for him to leave, until the satisfying click of a closing door reverberated through her mind. She gathered herself once he was gone, stood tall and rushed to her father. His hands were trembling, his mouth agape and a string of spittle descended from chapped lips onto the lapel of his velvet robe.

"It's okay daddy, I'm okay," she said, moving his head upward and covering his wrinkled spotted hand with her own. "I promise he won't hurt you, I won't let him. We'll finish this and never have to worry about him again, okay?"

She swallowed hard as she kneeled beside, regret and grief ripping and tearing her apart.

_I'm sorry, Darien._

* * *

Serena sat quietly against the headboard, the silky purple sheets pulled up to her chest as she watched him pace, his hands running through his locks in a frenzy. She had known Darien was no virgin and didn't really think of his past escapades as it had never been an issue. Somehow, the topic had never come up. Before, when things were different between them, she would tease him about how much of a slut he had been. She wasn't stupid or deaf; she heard the things he and Andrew would talk about when they thought she wasn't listening.

But this, this somehow seemed different to her. This girl, the woman who played such an important role in his past wasn't just some girlfriend that he had been intimate with and then forgotten, this woman played a pivotal part in his life. And it wasn't just that, it was the fact that initially Darien had kept their meeting the night of his birthday a secret until she confronted him about it. He had told her he felt guilty, but why feel guilty when allegedly, nothing had happened between them?

She was so busy staring at the pattern of the sheets and mulling over the thoughts in her own mind, that she hadn't noticed that Darien had stopped pacing and was staring at her, in a most intense almost frightening way.

"That was a long time ago," Darien said, his voice strong. "It doesn't mean anything."

She looked to him, crystal blue meeting indigo. "It means something," she said, raising her hand and tossing her hair behind her. "Did you…I mean, did you love her?"

He sighed. He had already lied to her about their initial meeting. Keeping things from Serena now would only make things worse later. "I don't know. And that's the truth. I wish I could tell you more but...I don't know if this even happened…I feel like I'm losing my mind." He swallowed hard.

She frowned, a mask of empathy spreading across her face. "I wish I didn't remember that but I did," he said after a moment. "I can't…it doesn't mean anything. I love you, you're the only person I want to be with."

She nodded in understanding, yet despite this declaration she still felt a sense of impending doom settle in her gut; almost as if she knew that this ordeal with him, with _her_, wasn't over yet. But something more pressing was stirring within her, and she had to know why.

"Darien, honestly, why is your uncle here? What exactly do you think he wants?"

He smirked, sighed and came down to sit beside her in bed. "All of this, all of the fighting, the lies, it's all about Chiba Incorporated. My great-grandfather started the company years ago and left it to my grandfather, Stefan Chiba, who ran it until he died. I'm not sure about the details, but Nicholas was supposed to inherit the company from grandfather upon his retirement. Nicholas was older than my father and it only seemed right to give it to the eldest son. But Nicholas was always crazy, self absorbed, self indulgent and grandfather decided that he didn't want to leave his company in the hands of a narcissistic megalomaniac, so he passed it on to my father instead. That's sort of when all the fighting started."

Serena nodded. "What does all of this have to do with you?

"I own a thirty two percent stock share in the company. Technically I'm a part of the board. I don't attend the meeting and don't make ruling decisions, but if necessary I could intervene and make a ruling decision at the meetings. Nicholas also owns thirty two percent stock in the company and he wants the rest of mine. He'd have over half the majority shares and wouldn't need the board's approval anymore for any of his practices."

"So why not turn the stock over to him? You'd never have to hear from him again."

Darien smiled sadly at Serena before looking to the sheets. "Because it's the only thing of my father's that I have left. When he died, he specifically left that to me, to look after. I don't remember him, or my mother, it's the only thing of them I have left. I think he knew what kind of person my uncle was, how he would treat the company that our family built. You have no idea the things Nicholas has done, supported, using Chiba Inc. funds Serena. He's not a good person. If I turn all of my stock over to him, he'll have complete control of a multibillion dollar company; I can't imagine what he would do with that kind of power." Darien chuckled lightly before turning to face her. "You sure you want to be a part of my family? We're kind of all screwed to hell."

She laughed nervously, her eyes falling to the sheets and avoided the question. "Is this why you never talked about them?"

"Partially, yeah. As far as I'm concerned, whatever family I had, died a in that crash a long time ago."

Serena nodded her mind spinning. Slowly the confusion seeped in again, clouding her thoughts, her judgments. So many secrets and lies; did she really want to get involved with these people. Darien carried such a burden on his shoulders. Was she really ready to carry it with him? She wasn't sure. And for the first time, in a long time, she was scared.

* * *

His hands were sweaty against the doorway as he stood in the hallway of such a familiar setting. He questioned, pondered, why was he even here?

He needed to know the truth, needed to know that he wasn't losing his mind, needed to get a grip on reality and separate truth from lies. He wanted answers; he wanted to hear it from her mouth. He promised, promised himself, that once he learned the truth he would leave, he would leave and repair his relationship with Serena, go back to the way things were before he came, before she came. Go to medical school, be a doctor, get married, move on.

His knuckles bruised slightly as he rapped on the door, the sound of bone against wood echoing throughout the pristine elegant halls of the high rise apartment complex. Indigo eyes studied the marbled floors, his eyes straining to hear footsteps approach behind the barrier.

The door swung open and he flinched, steeling himself against her advances, against any tricks she might pull.

"Darien?" asked Eva, her eyes wide and surprised as she surveyed him.

"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?" he asked gruffly, his eyes focused on the ground.

"I… yes," she said, moving away from the door as he edged carefully into the penthouse.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her hands coming up to cover her throat. The last thing she needed was for Darien to start questioning her over the mysterious bruises that peppered the tender skin of her neck.

"I needed to talk to you," he said, running his hands over his face and staring directly at her. Something about her was different today. She looked…terrified and almost as though she'd been crying. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yeah, long night. What did you want to ask me?"

Darien sighed, steadying himself before he began. "I know that you said we were friends, but were we ever involved?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "Involved? Yeah, you could say that. Why?"

Darien looked to her silently before responding. "I remember you."

"You remember me?" she sputtered, her mouth gaping in complete shock. "What? How?"

"I dreamt of you last night. We were…together."

"Where?"

"In a boat house, it was raining outside and we…"

"That was the day we made love for the first time," she said, nostalgia washing over her and warming her heart in a familiar way.

"The first time?"

"Yeah, we were…I loved you and you told me you loved me. We were closer than friends, I just…you're sort of engaged remember? I didn't want to tell you that."

"No? Well because of you I'm dreaming out it, while my fiancée is lying in bed next to me."

"I-I'm sorry."

His eyes narrowed. "Tell me that you being here has nothing to do with my uncle."

She started, shocked, Darien was never a fool, he had always been the smartest person she'd known. What was she supposed to say? That your uncle has taken everything from me and the only way that I can get it back is to seduce you away from your girlfriend and con you into signing away something that meant so much to you, to your father. "Not particularly, no. I'm playing at the Mugen Academy School of Music and teaching a violin class," she lied. "When your uncle, in his infinite knowledge found out, he contacted me. Said you could use a friend. I didn't even know whether or not you were still alive…I just, I wanted to see you again. For old time's sake." The words were falling off her tongue faster than she could imagine. She hated the taste the lies left behind.

Darien surveyed her quietly before letting his eyes fall to the skyline. "I'm confused…I have…these feelings, emotions, doubts, things I can't explain to anyone, not even Serena. I don't know what to do. I've always, I mean, I've never wanted these memories to come back. Not any of them. It's like a part of me knows that they were bad."

"They weren't all bad," she said honestly. "We happened. And for a while, you were pretty happy. I think, I thought I made you happy, and then that night happened and you lost it, ended up in the hospital and left soon after. You didn't even say goodbye."

Darien watched as a single tear slid down her cheek and he ached. He believed her. She looked so small and frightened and genuinely concerned for him. His body was moving on its own accord, coming to rest in front of her, his hand reaching up to brush the tear streak that coated her cheek.

She closed her eyes when she felt his fingertips against her skin, for the first time in a long time, she felt safe, and the loneliness that had settled in her heart after her mother had died was fading. She had never loved anyone the way she loved him, and doubted that she ever would.

"Why did I do it? Drive into that cliff?" he asked, his voice soft, eyes tender.

"The days before, you were on edge, upset, different. You said you didn't trust anyone anymore, that you didn't know what to believe but you never told me why you felt that way. We were supposed to meet that night, for a bonfire at the beach with our friends. You never made it to my house. Instead I came to you and by the time I found you, you were in a hospital bed with tubes stuck down your throat. Witnesses cried suicide; I didn't know what to believe. You were different after that. You shut down, and then you left."

Her eyes were shining with tears, beautiful green eyes that held so much sadness, and he couldn't help it, he was drawn to her in a way that he couldn't explain. A part of him didn't trust her, knew that something about this situation felt wrong, but another part knew that most of what she was telling him was the truth. He could feel that panic, that confusion again and he knew that he had felt the same emotions the day of his second accident.

"I need to know why I did what I did. And I need you to help me," he said, staring down at her. "I need to know if I can trust you."

"I would never purposefully hurt you." _If I could help it, I wouldn't be doing this now. But I have to save him. He's my father._

She neared him slowly, her hands snaking up behind his neck and leaned in, the feeling of his heart beating gently against her as she held him, encircling him in a hug of warmth, comfort and understanding. His hands moved slowly to envelope her waist and pull her into him as he held her.

And then he felt it, his heart felt like it dropped into his stomach, an electric sense of want and need shot through him as if he were being shocked. This embrace, a hug between lost friends, suddenly felt like so much more.


End file.
